The B's

Thanks for listening :)

2011-12-09T10:11:00.000-06:00

This morning:

Mommy: Can I have an extra hug this morning? Mommy, is having a rough day already.

Ben: Why? (Gives a big hug).

Mommy: I just have a lot to do today and I'm a little overwhelmed about it.

(Pause and hug)

Ben: Can you put on a show for me?

Mommy: (chuckling to myself) Sure, Ben, thanks for listening.

Ben: What? I wasn't listening, Mom.

Mommy: Oh ;) I see.

Toddler Speak - now he's 3

2011-10-07T23:16:00.000-05:00

My sons want to go outside, but it is cold.

Mommy: I don't want to go outside right now, it is really chilly.

Ben: MOOOOommmmm . . . just put on your sweaties.

---------------------

Before Daddy's birthday.

Mommy: Hey Ben, what should we get Daddy for his birthday?

Ben: (without even a hesitation) Oh, a grabber like mine. That would make him happy.

---------------
Daddy putting Ben to bed tonight (Oct. 7, 2011)

Daddy: Hey Ben . . .

Ben: I'm not Ben. I'm an old man.

Daddy: You're an old man?

Ben: Yeah (sigh). I'm sick and old.

Daddy: (laugh)

Ben: I'm going out of my mind!

The things a three-year old learns after his first visit to a retirement home.

Moved to Colorado. Visited Utah. Birthday Bashes.

2011-09-02T23:42:00.000-05:00

My Boys!

We love having a backyard to play in.

The view from our window is of the Flatirons. So pretty (if you ignore the cars and didn't have a glare hiding the mountains!)

Thank you, neighbors for the fresh carrot. A great way to convince Ben to eat more carrots!

Happy 1st Birthday, Boyd-y!

Traditional 1st year birthday cake: zucchini bread :)

10 days later: Happy 3rd Birthday, Ben!

New bike. First day riding his bike to school. Good job, Honey.

Just like Daddy. New helmet. New bell.

Toddler Speak

2011-07-09T15:23:00.000-05:00

When I was younger I used to think that my younger brother Ryan would somehow catch up and surpass me in age when everyone said, "One day he'll be bigger than you," or "When Ryan is bigger. . . ." I'm guessing little Ben is thinking similarly after this conversation.

Ben to Mommy: "When I get bigger and you get smaller and you yell, I will say, 'Go your room!'"

Can you tell we have been trying to keep him from yelling so much with time-out in his room?

Spring 2011

2011-06-28T09:43:00.000-05:00

Classic crib shot.

Slow down, Baby! You're growing too fast.

Another attempt at taking pictures incognito failed.

Ben keeping an eye on his brother while pretending to drink milk.

Two boys who love boots.

Again, boots. Ben came out in this outfit and said, "I'm Flynn RIDER!"

So excited that our friends are going to let us tend their animals for a week!

I would seriously like to have some chickens! I found a great site on different types of chicken coops. Check it out! http://www.backyardchickens.com/

We pulled over to take a picture of everyone watching the skies. We didn't realize they were actually spotting the funnel cloud we'd been outrunning.. It's in the left side of the picture. We were driving back fro Kansas City and started seeing funny things in the sky. We turned on the radio and it said, "TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY." So we turned off and headed the opposite direction for awhile.

That kangaroo was great! There are no fences in this exhibit. You could go chase a kangaroo if you really wanted to.

A picture in front of a Catholic cathedral for our Topeka Treasure Hunt. Last year we won second place!

Toddler Speak - To be or not to be!

2011-06-28T09:21:00.000-05:00

I was an English major, and I really enjoy British English. I also am always on the lookout for clean entertainment. That being said, I enjoy British literature and films, which means I'm likely to naturally expose my children to my interests. In the last year I've come upon some children's shows that are British and so I snatched them up: Winnie the Pooh, Tales of Peter Rabbit, and a cute series called Charlie and Lola.

I love Charlie and Lola. These siblings are super heroes--never fight, always problem solve together, genuinely enjoy each other's company. This morning's conversation with Ben, however, has made me question my approach . . .

Ben: (Roars) I'm a monst-a!

Me: Ha ha, you're a monst-ER, huh?

Ben: No, I'm a monst-A.

Me: No . . . you are a monst-ER.

Ben: STA.

Me: STER.

Ben: STAAAA.

Me: STERRRRR. (I'll try to approach it with an explanation.) Bennners, Charlie and Lola are from England, and they say monst-a. WE are from America, we say monst-ER.

Ben: (continues playing)

Me: (hmmmmmmm......what am I doing to my childrens' language?!)

This is not the first time, though! He likes to say, "Mommy, mo-a, please." (instead of "more").

Toddler Speak

2011-06-13T13:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's Evening Prayer, by Ben, Jr.:

"Thank thee for my . . . pancake.

Thank thee for my . . . teachers.

Thank thee for my . . . body.

Thank thee for my . . . family."

Very sweet, and yummy.

---------------------------------------------

Today's futuristic discussion:

Ben: Mom, I want to open this.

Me: No, Honey, that is for Daddy to open for Father's Day.

Ben: Oh.

Daddy is a BIG MAN, huh

Me: Yep, Daddy is a big man. You are a little MAN. Someday you will be a big man. And someday you will be a DADDY, too.

Ben: [thinking, and then] Someday I will have . . .

[if he figures out he will have children someday I'm impressed] . . . hair on my face?

[Well, yes, that too! :) ]

Toddler Speak: Owls and Aunts

2011-05-17T08:07:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Elmo's World, Ben knows the sound an owl makes. See . . .

Ben: A Towel says, "Hoot! Hoot!"

---------------------

My sister is in town for a few weeks, which is really fun. Last weekend we were out and about and Ben, Jr. was walking with Shirley Anne when a sweet woman said to him, "Is this your aunt?" Ben said defiantly, "NO! This is my Shirley Anne." (The nerve.)

Toddler Speak: Pink Egg from the Easter Hunt

2011-05-01T09:09:00.000-05:00

One of the eggs from an Easter Hunt we went to was pink with a castle on it. This morning Boyd was playing with it and some other toys and Ben came over and put it on the baby's head and said:

Ben: Be a princess, Baby. Be a princess.
Mommy: That's cute. Actually, boys are PRINCES; girls are princesses.
Ben: Ohhh.

(pause)

Ben: (putting egg back on Boyd's head) Be a QUEEN, Baby.

Toddler Speak: Tommy left his trains.

2011-04-26T21:55:00.000-05:00

When we kicked off the potty training adventure the first time around, we did it poorly. We tried everything, though, to try to bribe him to use the toilet. We'd say, "Ben, if you go potty on the toilet, you get . . . GUNS (not my idea; daddy went shopping at the dollar store)." He wanted those guns pretty badly, but was not going to use the toilet to get them. Nothing worked, so we backed off for a couple of months.

This go around, HE says to us, "If Ben go potty on the toilet, I get . . . TRAINS."

I blinked. Then I said, "OKAY!" (Clever tactic, Son. It worked).

He's had his trains now for a couple of weeks.

Tonight we were reading a story about the ice cream man coming into a neighborhood:

"Dana left her dolls.
Bobby left his boats.
Tommy left his trains."

Ben says matter-of-factly, "Tommy has trains. He went poopy on the toilet."

(And that is the way trains are obtained.)

Toddler Speak

2011-04-17T19:25:00.000-05:00

Mom and Dad in the living room. Ben eating at the table.

Dad: I would like to have an iTouch.
Mom: I thought you were dreaming for an iPad.
Dad: Well, I'm probably not getting one of those soon and an iTouch would help me out with my work and calling.

Ben, loudly from the table: I WANT AN iTOUCH!

(And it begins.)

Toddler Speak

2011-04-10T09:48:00.000-05:00

Mommy to Daddy: "Bye, Honey. Have a good time at the meeting."

1 minute later

Ben to Mommy: "Where's Honey go?"
Mommy: "Honey? Do you want some honey?"
Ben: "No. Where's HONEY go?"
Mommy: "Ohhhh, you mean Daddy? He's your daddy; he's MY Honey."
Ben: "NO. HE'S MY HONEY!"

Okay.

Toddler Speak

2011-04-05T08:27:00.000-05:00

I need to record some of the things my sweet toddler says. I figure this is a good place to keep track of them.

Today:

I want to go to High School with Daddy.
(No idea when we said "High School." And we don't watch High School Musical, so ... hmmm.)

[Speaking to his cars] Knock, Knock. Who's there? Amos. Ouch it bitting me.
(Correct spelling. We read a riddle book at night, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't really know why they are jokes. He left out: "Amos Who? A mosquito just bit me." I'm partial to his version though :) ).

Recently:

Daddy: Don't spill your drink, OK?
Ben: (pauses for a few seconds) I spill it in my mouth?

Since Halloween . . .

2011-02-24T16:25:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures of November, Christmas time, and the boys.

Grandma and Grandpa Tyler came to Kansas in November to see the boys and attend his baby blessing (they let Big Ben and I tag along :).

We went to visit the Amish . . . again. We can't help ourselves. I'd really like to be their neighbor! There was an auction going on and this is the parking lot.

Ben in our sweet ride. Who says being a mini-van driver can't make you look GOOD :) . (We don't have a Honda, but have you see the new Honda commercials? Definitely trying to appeal to the male crowd more and make mini-vans seem saucy! Works for me!)

Baby's blessing day.

This is an "older" picture now. It's been fun to see Boyd get more interactive lately and to light up when he recognizes a face.

The four Bs!

Topeka Zoo outing. We have a very convenient and toddler-friendly zoo about 2 miles from our house.

Cool picture, huh?

The crew at Liberty Jail. We live near Independence, MO if anyone wants to visit!

Typical day in the life of Ben.

Christmas sugar cookie making activity at home. Our first Christmas tree as the Buie family; we even cut it down ourselves.

"There's a snake in ma' boot."

This was a fun Christmas since Ben was all about Santa Clause coming to town.

Happy Boyd.

Notice Boyd's cowboy hat. Ben wanted a pard'ner and deputy.

Ben also wanted to have blankets and books with his brother. Notice he's actually glancing sideways to make sure Boyd is doing this right.

Yee-Haw HalloWEEN (toddler's pronunciation)

2010-11-03T10:01:00.000-05:00

This could work for St. Patrick's Day, too, I suppose. But I didn't want to make black and orange food :) .

Get it? Lobster Lover bib and a little lobster!

Our costumes for the Nelson's 5th Annual Halloween Party!

Stone Soup

2010-10-17T22:11:00.000-05:00

We've been reading this book a bunch at nap time or bedtime. Junior likes it because it has so many familiar words that he is learning to say right now: carrot, soup, hungry, boy, walk, eat.

We made Mexican bean and chicken soup on Friday. When he wanted more he came to me and pointed saying, "Mo-mmy, peez, sto-ne soup. Peez, Mommy."

So stinkin' cute!

B to the fifth power.

2010-09-20T13:35:00.000-05:00

Boyd at 25 days old

Ben at 17 days old

Sweet little Boyd.

When we say, "Let's go see the lions," at the zoo, he thinks we mean the statues. That's his favorite attraction.

He's learned the word funny. He'll do something and say, "Funny Ben."

He really wants to be a BYU Cougar. He got upset when I suggested he wear a different shirt. We try to let our children make their own choices :) .

New, spur-of-the-moment haircut. Very short.

I haven't had it this short since graduation from high school.

Two Boys' Birthdays :)

2010-08-30T21:27:00.001-05:00

Boyd's looks are changing everyday.

We celebrated Ben's 2nd birthday early with a truck cake--he loves cars. He can hear a bus or a truck or a motobike go by and can identify them without even seeing them!

He's allergic to milk, so we figured out a frosting that has no dairy in it! :)

Ben and Boyd nearly had the same birthday, but Boyd came a little early and so there is a comfortable gap for birthdays!

Big Brother Meets Little Brother

2010-08-23T09:12:00.000-05:00

Ben seems to be okay with the new baby, even though he only spent 2 minutes looking at him and the rest of his time playing with the wheelchairs in the hall and the new truck he got. We'll see how he adjusts when the baby comes into his territory at home, but for now we are happy that he's not jealous!

Grandma and Grandpa Blake came out yesterday evening, which was a surprise because Grandma Blake was the only one we thought would make it, and we thought she'd fly, but they drove out and made it through Wyoming, Colorado, and Kansas to be with us.

We are very excited to have little Boyd to add to our family of B's (Ben, Brooke, Benjamin, Boyd, Buie! :) ). And as for labor . . . I highly recommend painting your toes a cute color (ladies). That added just enough joy during the whole process, that I just may have another baby! :)

Labor went as well as I could've expected. Once again I thank the modern miracle of medicine and epidurals. And I thank my two little boys who don't have big heads and don't cause Mommy any stitches.

More to come . . .

Unveiling The Baby's Name

2010-08-22T09:40:00.005-05:00

We have been referring to the new baby by this name for months, but we wanted to wait till he was born to take a good look at him and see if it fits. This morning we prayed about the name and still felt good about it, so we are officially announcing his name will be Boyd Buie. His middle name will be Dewey after his grandfather.

Boyd Dewey Buie

2010-08-22T01:53:00.004-05:00

On Aug 22 at 1:27 little _____ _____ Buie was born weighing 7 lb 3 oz. He was 21 inches, had a healthy cry, pink color, and has light (possibly curly) hair. He is not too happy in the pictures, but who is in their first minutes of life.

The name announcement is coming as soon as Brooke can rest a bit and we can make sure it is right for the little one.

2010-08-21T20:03:00.004-05:00

Coming to you live from the labor and delivery room in the hospital via wi-fi. In just a matter of hours we will be introducing you to the newest member of the Buie family and reveal his name.

I can't help but sit here and reflect on the power of a name. Take for instance our on-call doctor, Dr. Bonebreak. Doesn't that just bring a vivid picture to mind? Our doctor, Dr Reynolds, was on call yesterday and tomorrow, but not today he left us at the mercy of Bonebreak :) And to keep the saga rolling, what better person to RELIEVE Brooke's pain than Dr. Payne himself.

It's good to see that Heavenly Father has a sense of humor. Luckily, this is playing our almost exactly like our first labor, so we are not reading to much into the coincidental names of our doctors.

Well, I'll leave you with that food for thought as I end this post to take a short rest.

BCB

Family Vacation 2010

2010-06-08T12:44:00.001-05:00

Utah. Baptism. Graduation. Camping. Temple. Fun.

We just returned from a fabulous family vacation in Utah, which included the above mentioned highlights.

My courageous 24-year old brother was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in May. He's amazing and we are very excited for him to embark on this new path (officially!).

My youngest sibling and only sister graduated from high school last weekend. And we are thrilled that she is going to be a BYU Cougar!

We went camping for Memorial Day. We also were blessed to attend Utah Temples.

Now it is back to getting the house in order! We miss you all back in Utah, especially little Ben misses his grandparents!

"Our young children have been encouraged to visit the temple grounds and touch the temple.President Thomas S. Monson once counseled, 'As we touch the temple, the temple will touch us.'" (Gary E. Stevenson, “Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples,” Ensign, May 2009, 101–3)

This is the first time we've had him touch the temple, and it seemed instinctive that he show reverence by taking off his hat before! Amazing!

We are such outdoorsmen . . . nevermind the giant fifth wheel RV behind the firewood cutting experience that expands and has almost as much room as our apartment!

Yarn. Anniversary. Baseball natural.

2010-05-06T15:33:00.000-05:00

My first hank turned into a ball. Doesn't that just make you smile? I'm sure my ancestors are! :)

My first order from a specialty yarn store, to buy good quality yarn with fun colors. The skeins on the left are 100% wool, while the hank on the right is 100% Peruvian cotton. Why does this bring joy?

THREE YEARS AGO ...

AND NOW. . .

Why is it that we waited till our anniversary to have a date without the baby? I hope we don't wait that long again! Go on dates!

And, Grandpas rejoice: he's a natural. We didn't even have to show him how to put the glove on, he just knew, and wanted to play catch instantly!

It's A . . .

2010-04-16T11:49:00.003-05:00

These pictures look just like Ben Jr.'s ultrasound pictures . . .

. . .which makes sense since this is Ben's younger BROTHER! :)

mALcheek (boy) or dYEvochka (girl)?

2010-04-15T22:50:00.000-05:00

T minus 11 hours and we find out the gender of our second baby!

With our first, I remember it was agonizing to wait for 20 weeks to know the gender, and if we could find out a couple of weeks earlier, it would be wonderful.

With this baby, time has flown by and it's already been 20+ weeks, and the agony didn't start until today...we are anxious to know! :)

Beware of BED BUGS!!!

2010-04-12T15:29:00.000-05:00

They suck blood; they hide in your sheets, mattress, headboards, cracks, and more; and they are incredibly difficult to get rid of.

You don't want these in your home; and I'm here to tell you that HOTELS have them!

Remember when staying in a hotel used to be fun! Well, if you see these critters, insomnia can set in! We found bed bugs in the morning (around 5:15 am, coincidentally a very active feeding time, just before dawn, for these pests; and not a good time when you are trying to get out and catch a train!).

These bugs can hitchhike on your luggage (sometimes clothes, etc.), which is why hotels (regardless whether it is a nice, expensive, clean) are having epidemic infestations all over the nation. People who monitor this think it is from more international travel, but regardless, they are spreading. The biggest problem is when they get back to your home. These bugs resist pesticides and are very, very horrendous to get rid of!

Therefore, I am posting this to tell you, beware and be careful. Read up on how to check hotel rooms for bed bugs signs, how to protect your belongings from transporting them, and how to avoid them getting into your home. And check sites like this one of you are going to a hotel soon: http://bedbugregistry.com.

But, our trip was still fun! Here are some highlights of or visit from my wonderful siblings!

Just found an egg! Check out his Easter Basket in the upper right-hand corner . . . nice!

Back to Amish community, Jamesport.

Benjamin's Jungle - Mommy's Craft

2010-04-12T14:57:00.000-05:00

This was fun! Ben's room has no decorations, and is also partly a food storage and regular storage room--highly unattractive.

He made me feel so appreciated, too. He saw his wall and just sat on his little bed and stared at it with a smile. He did this several times throughout the day. Thank you, son!

The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner . . . and my budget

2010-04-12T14:52:00.000-05:00

I have discovered The Food Nanny on www.byutv.org/byutv. Her show is on Saturdays, but thanks to the internet, you can go back and watch it any time.

I love to cook, but with morning sickness that lasted forever, I lost desire and organization. I stumbled on the Food Nanny and she has motivated me to cook good meals again for the sake of my family; and to plan in order to benefit my sanity and my budget.

:) Check out her show and let me know what you think. Her website has a few recipes and such as well thefoodnanny.org.

F.O.T.Z.

2010-03-05T13:57:00.002-06:00

So we are now, FOTZ (Friends of the Zoo)!

Topeka has a zoo just down the road, so Ben and I have gone the last 4 days in a row. He is a big fan of the ELEPHANTS and LIONS. Though, I like the rain forest and the bears.

Come April, the park across the way from the zoo will start running the TRAIN again and CAROUSAL. Doesn't impending spring just lighten your spirits?

Our Quarterly Post :)

2010-02-17T15:17:00.012-06:00

November: Thanksgiving Day Family Photo

Fall Walk by the Governor's Mansion

First time he's fallen asleep in his chair!

Ben's First Experience with Santa; no tears, but also no smiles!

New Knitting Hobby, and Behold the First Scarf and Christmas Gift

Also found a great deal on a used sewing machine; more homemade Christmas presents!

Well, I have more to put on here, and yet, I don't know how to download fast enough to avoid blogging becoming a 10-hour event. HOW DO I MAKE BLOGGING MORE ENJOYABLE? Any advice?

Happy Halloween! Vintage Costume . . .

2009-11-01T10:35:00.007-06:00

My brother wore this costume when he was 10 months old . . . which was nearly 23 years ago! Mom made this costume back in the day; so it is a classic in the family! It usually just hangs on the wall as a decoration . . . but not this year!

Ben II Dracula:

And of course he did the Mom-pulled-out-the-camera-so-I'll-stop-smiling thing!

Payless Deal and Photo Shoot in the Park

2009-10-29T07:58:00.007-05:00

PAYLESS DEAL

50% today and tomorrow (Thursday, October 29 and Friday October 30), because one of Payless's new fashion designers is being featured on OPRAH, they are going to have a 50% entire purchase sale.

Go to oprah.com/payless to access the special offer either by downloading a coupon or sending a special text message.

PHOTO SHOOT

Well, my little guy was having a super day and wanted to walk all over and be cute, so I thought - let's zip over to the park and I'll take some cute photos of him. Well, once I pulled out the camera, this is pretty much what happened. No more smiles, and he didn't want to walk around but be held. So here are some of the better shots I got, but out of 100 it's not very many!

Kansas is in the center of it all!

2009-09-25T15:49:00.007-05:00

One more summer adventure.

We love the heartland of America, and even greater, the heartland of so much Church History. Actually, we could just say Gospel History when you consider this picture was taken in no less than Adam-ondi-Ahman. And I guess you could actually say Gospel Future as well . . .

It is absolutely beautiful there--green, expansive, peaceful. From this picture we are near an outlook of the actual valley. Behind us at the top of the hill are acres and acres and acres of land that the Church owns and is currently being farmed.

Baby Ben is growing. He has 6 teeth, can walk with a decreasing wobble, and jabbers like crazy. And he smiles like this when he's about to do something that will make you laugh or race him to something he probably shouldn't be going towards. In this instance I think he was just lunging for the camera.

This is a sign of a horse and buggy--which means slow down. We went to Jamesport, an old Amish town. I could live there; the Amish would make great neighbors. They are industrious, devout, friendly, foreign language speakers (German is their day-to-day language, surprisingly), modest in living, and many other positive qualities.

All of their homes are nicely kept, and you'll notice no telephone or electricity lines running to them.

Great place to visit, and they enjoy visitors. They have several local stores that they sell products in from quilts (hand-quilted and anywhere from $400-900), furniture, crafts, breads, jams, buggies, etc.

There are bed-and-breakfasts in this town as well. If you'd like a refreshing and peaceful get-away place - go to Jamesport, MO.

We also went to Liberty, MO where we saw the Liberty Jail where our prophet of the Restoration was held for nearly 5 months back in 1838 and 1839.

And this is in the Independence, MO Visitors Center.

He lives.

OOoo-klahoma Where the Wind Comes Rolling Down the Plains!

2009-07-17T13:42:00.007-05:00

We've seen more of the Great Plains, the American Bread Basket, the Midwest. We drove past Witchita (the other Kansas city) and to Oklahoma City, OK. (I clarify the state, because Kansas City is mostly in Missouri :) . We met some wonderful old friends there (Emily and Logan Mallory) who are living in Texas right.

We saw the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, which was excitin'. Saw a Rodeo--very atypical--we should tell you that story someday. Ate at Crabtown--fabulous. And little Ben was a trooper.

We also attended the wonderful Oklahoma City Temple. The smallest temple I've been too, but the feeling in that House of the Lord is just as great!

Here's some of the latest photos. And if anyone wants to talk about NARNIA, Brooke finished the last 3 books during the last three days (stayed up till 12:30 am last night, though we go walking at 5:30 am!) Would love to talk about it!

Much love and thank you all for the posts, they are fun!

Sometimes We Want Stuff We Should Not Have

2009-07-13T23:29:00.002-05:00

I ran into this short film and think it has a lesson to teach us about life.

Great Video About Life

2009-07-03T23:09:00.002-05:00

This is an interesting speech given by Steve Jobs (founder of apple) at a Stanford graduation. If you have 15 minutes, I suggest you watch, especially if you are in school or just recently graduated.

And We're Back on the Air

2009-06-17T14:30:00.008-05:00

So, we moved to Kansas--Topeka, Kansas (KS) to be exact. We are an hour from Kansas City, MO; about 6 hours from Nauvoo, IL; 9 hours from Chicago, IL; and 15 hours from Salt Lake City, UT.

Our move out here was a delight--really like a vacation. We traveled with family, stopped in Grand Junction for a night, then Denver, then straight through Kansas (it's mostly farmland until you hit Topeka).

We've only had a major thunderstorm every other night (at least a really good one once a week); seen lightning out our window that I'd only ever seen in National Geographic Magazines; and finally can say we've seen fireflies! As we drove by a large grassy field one night (there's never too much traffic, nor has been seen too many cars on the road on his commute to and from work) we must have "triggered" them, because they were jumping all over. Impressive.

We arrived in Topeka on a Friday, unpacked, and at 4:30 am on Tuesday got up to hop the Amtrak Train to Nauvoo, IL (or Fort Madison to be exact, which is 9 miles from Nauvoo). Incredible--the entire experience. That is a sacred place, that really leaves a special place in the heart.

Ben has started working at Payless Worldwide Headquarters and hasn't had to pay for lunch yet :) . They have training for weeks and go to lunch with lots of managers. He doesn't actually start his real job for 5 more weeks! He's been touring lots of stores and hearing all about shoes!

Our new apartment is a step up from our 1-Bedroom . . . to a 2-Bedroom. Yay! We even have a washer and dryer, which is incredibly convenient. My family also generously gave us a new couch, which we like very much; and our bedroom doesn't feel like a food storage and storage shed anymore . . . but Baby Ben's does a little, but he said he didn't mind ;) .

Little Ben is 9.5 months now, still no teeth, incredibly mobile, and getting more fun every day (and also more exhausting!).

Please let us know how you are doing. Also, we video chat on SKYPE, so if you want to give us a ring, that would be fun for us.

Love from Kansas.

You probably know how beautiful the Nauvoo Temple is, but I didn't realize how lush and green it all is (similar to Kansas) and how close the temple is to the MISSISSIPPI! There is a wonderful little live dramatization that depicts the Saints during their prosperous times in Nauvoo and the role this great river played in their lives. Amazing.

Here's our sweet baby, all growing up.

Family Photos!

2009-04-25T13:31:00.006-05:00

Check out our family photos that our friend, neighbor, and fellow ward member took (Whitney Lewis):

http://whitneylewis.smugmug.com/gallery/7844054_EidhC#508342010_fHrKE

And as an update:
We move to TOPEKA, KANSAS around May 22 or so (give or take).

Calm and Dignified Protest

2009-03-09T23:59:00.001-05:00

6-months old!

2009-03-05T09:44:00.004-06:00

Baby Ben is growing so fast (he outweighs most babies in the ward, even if they are older than him!). We've been enjoying his new gifts: sticking out his tongue, rolling over-stretching-reaching for things he wants, boisterous laughing, sitting in his new booster chair, strength-of-steel grip (watch out hair at the bottom of your neck!), sucking on his toes, waking up on his belly, and more.

Ben and Ben and I played in Salt Lake on Wednesday. Ben has been working at his own business, which makes our schedule nice and flexible. We enjoyed the Joseph Smith Movie at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building; a gourmet sandwich at the Nauvoo Cafe, and pictures outside the temple.

My personal favorite from the trip is this one of Baby Ben -- I feel like he looks solid in his testimony and is saying, "It's no joke--it's all true."

Also, keep in touch - we may end up in Topeka, Kansas in T minus 3 months. We may be taking a job at Payless Shoe Source Headquarters. KANSAS!

He DISCOVERED Jumping Yesterday!

2009-01-21T13:27:00.006-06:00

I just enjoyed one of the most fun growing moments with my son. He figured out, right before my eyes, how to jump in his jumper. He had previously enjoyed sitting in it and could even twist around in it—but never actually jump continuously. When he learned, it was like joy entered his body and motivated his legs. He loved it! It was so fun to see that joy and learning happening at the same time. What was nearly as cute was when he pooped out. Suddenly the jumping just stopped; it didn’t just slow down. He went from vigorously jumping to none. He looked so tired, especially when you consider that little body working out for about 20 minutes straight. I pulled him out, laid him on my shoulder, and after a minimal effort to keep his head up he crashed. He was in a deep sleep in just a minute or so!

I wish those joys could translate in this fast paced world. Mothering and participating in a child’s life is special and I’d even say sacred. I love that little boy! And I love being able to mother him!

This is a day two video, the day one videos are too large to upload.

He can jump for about 20 minutes straight...but then he looks like this--exhausted:

Fight FOCA

2008-12-30T09:55:00.004-06:00

Obama announced that he would sign the Freedom of Choice Act (or the Freedom of Partial-birth Abortionists Act).

It is important to be informed and active in political matters, especially moral issues. Abortion is a controversial issue, but it is also quite simple. Take away all of the marketing from both sides and campaigns (pro-choice, pro-life, women choose what's happening to their body, etc) you're dealing with life.

Pro-choice should really focus on the choice to create life. Pregnancy is the result or consequence of a choice. The choice is to have sex and get pregnant. If you aren't ready for parenthood, then you aren't ready for sex. Also, once that consequence of pregnancy comes (which we would hope it was a joyous occasion) then you have finished making choices.

If an adult were to argue that they killed another individual, because they simply didn't want to deal with them, they didn't like how they looked or that the other individual had some health issues that would be burdensome, or that emotionally they couldn't have that person around (if I were more eloquent, those points might be more powerful), we would think that adult were crazy for even suggesting they had a right to kill someone for those reasons. Likewise (if this point is coming across), just because a woman is part of bringing life into the world, the choice to end that life is not hers (yes, there are some issues about health, rape, etc, but we are speaking about the general practice and the 99% of most cases). Life is life. Life begins when those two cells start reproducing. Did you know the heart of a baby is developed enough to start beating after 22 days of gestation, and blood circulates at 26 days!

Concerns - "Concern for the health of the mother is a vital one. But circumstances in which the termination of pregnancy is necessary to save the life of the mother are very rare, particularly where modern medical care is available. Another concern applies to pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. This tragedy is compounded because an innocent woman’s freedom of choice was denied. In these circumstances, abortion is sometimes considered advisable to preserve the physical and mental health of the mother. Abortions for these reasons are also rare" (http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=b4b8db98e2b9c110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1).

This is a heated argument, but if we are informed, we can help preserve the lives of the defenseless. Also, we can take this as an opportunity to inform others of the principles of chastity (which would eliminate the "on demand" abortions) and other moral principles.

What are you thoughts and how can we help fight FOCA?

Please also see:
The Library of Congress - http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.2020:
Fight Freedom Of Choice Act website - http://www.fightfoca.com/ (sign the PETITION also)
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Choice_Act
NRLC: http://www.nrlc.org/FOCA/LawmakersProposeFOCA.html

Solar Power

2008-11-07T16:10:00.002-06:00

Solar: The wave of the future. Catch the wave!

Click here to see a great video on solar.

He is SMILING!

2008-11-06T12:52:00.001-06:00

What a darling smile!

Why not vote Obama?

2008-11-03T22:25:00.003-06:00

If you would like to see Ben's opinion on this matter, he wrote an article on TrendTrap about it.

If you are interested, he describes several simple reasons that you may find interesting. Click here to read the article.

Baby Ben's New Preference

2008-11-01T13:56:00.003-05:00

Let's talk about how the baby used to lie down and be content. Lately, that has changed. If he is to be left alone, he will not tolerate lying down, he wants to be sitting up. Moments before this picture I thought he was hungry again, because he was crying, though he had just eaten. Then I sat him up, and voila - he was fine for another 30 minutes (till he dozed off!).

2008-10-30T19:13:00.001-05:00

Here is a masterpiece of a cake that I made last week for a family Halloween Party. I will be making it again for the Ward Dessert Contest on Halloween (tomorrow), with darker orange frosting, and hopefully a taller version of the cake since I had some issues with this one, though it still resembles it's Kraft Food magazine original.

Last week Ben went to Topeka, Kansas for an interview at Payless ShoeSource. We actually think the idea is appealing, but are still waiting for an offer. It is the land of tornadoes, though! And apparently it's pretty lush looking and may foster large spiders, which is something I'm incredibly opposed to! :)

Here's a picture of the famous clouds, though...

Well, that's enough text for me! I suppose I'll end with a plug for MCCAIN, whom I'm voting for tomorrow morning. Though Obama speaks appealing messages to the general public, like focusing on the middle class and their tax deductions, or needing to preserve the American Dream and bring a Change for once (like that's never been promised), the fact is, he is promoting policies that show a lack of understanding of general economic principles, and a socialist approach to health care and the market/businesses. I think MCCAIN's experience, though he is not the most glamorous candidate, and his goals are more in line with stong principles (whether dealing with war tactics, economic policies, taxation, energy, etc.) This is obviously a long conversation to be had, and I'd be interested in hearing your views, but I'll be voting for MCCAIN tomorrow.

Happy voting! It's great to be American! May Freedom be preserved and may we truly proclaim "In God We Trust."

Our Family - Took pictures on Sunday :)

2008-10-20T14:36:00.005-05:00

Our Buie Family Super Star Son

2008-10-13T09:15:00.007-05:00

Baby sleeping. Baby trying to wake up! He loves studying next to Dad. As long has he has a leg on him, he'll sit quietly. If you set him somewhere by himself...not as amused!

He's out of Newborn Onesies, and has upgraded to outfits with separate pieces. Soon he'll be in college :( .

Check out that neck strength!!! 5 weeks old!

Wiggling and Giggling

2008-10-12T22:41:00.002-05:00

Baby Benjamin is growing so fast! This is the first time he put on this outfit and he's getting too big for it already!

He's so fun to watch and listen to...

What a babe!

2008-09-17T21:47:00.009-05:00

Right before I took this shot, his hand was in a fist and it looked like he was going to "blast off into space" like a super hero! In general, though, he got past the closed fisted time pretty quickly. He likes having his hands open, though he has recently discovered how to suck his thumb and poke his eye at the same time.

Recent sitings of "The Cutie Pie" :)

2008-09-17T21:47:00.004-05:00

Born nearly 16.5 days ago, little Baby Buie is growing rapidly. His mother can already see that his legs and arms are getting beefier and he's filling out in the neck! Also, when he was only a few hours old, the hospital photographer took a picture of him with his blue beenie cap, which was quite oversized for him at the time. Now it fits snugly.

<-- Baby Ben and Daddy Ben taking a Sunday afternoon nap together.

He looks good in Blue!

Baby Foot

2008-09-05T00:27:00.002-05:00

Here is another video of the little guy :) So cute! We are proud parents.

Benjamin Junior

2008-09-04T08:55:00.000-05:00

Family Adventure - Welcome Benjamin Junior

2008-09-04T07:52:00.009-05:00

Born September 1st, 5:53 am, on Labor Day

2008-09-02T11:21:00.003-05:00

After 25 hours of labor, little Benjamin (Benny) Daniel Buie was born. Brooke's water broke at 4 am Aug 31 and she started early labor. After about 4 hours of painless contractions, Brooke was dilated to a 4 and then labor stopped. We waited another 6 hours hoping that labor would start on it's own, but it never did. We wanted to let the body do it's own thing, but with the water broken, the baby was in danger of infection. After praying about it, we decided that the best thing to do was to induce labor.

12 hours after induction the baby came. At some times it was scary because Brooke was tired and hadn't eaten. But with a little encouragement, Brooke kept going. Finally after about 10 and a half hours, Brooke was dialated to a ten and they said she could start pushing. The only problem was that Brooke could barely keep her eyes open. The nurse decided to let her sleep for an hour. Then with a refreshed mind, Brooke pushed the baby out within 16 minutes. It came so quick at that point that the doctor had to tell her to not push because he wasn't ready :). He threw the plastic liquid catcher under her and then next push the baby was out.

The baby had a little breathing problem, probably because he had just been through the most traumatizing 25 hours of his life, but he quickly calmed down and has been doing great ever since. Now we are just concentrating on getting him to eat. He is so tired! He needs to eat but he can't keep his eyes open. So we have to tickle him :)

He is the cutest little kid.

Mormon Blogger

2008-08-10T20:08:00.003-05:00

Recently Elder Ballard gave a talk on sharing our belief as part of an online conversation. He challenged us to be an active force in spreading the good news of the gospel to those looking on the internet. Well, instead of just dreaming about it, one of my friends decided to do something about it. So he set up Mormon-Blogger for testimonies and experiences of devout Mormons.

The cool thing about this blog is that for about a year, my friend has been optimizing websites to rank high on search engines. He has an amazing tallent, and drives over 4,000 people a day to his clients website. We want to get the blog ranked in the top ten on Google for keywords like Mormon, Book of Mormon, LDS, Jesus Christ, and related. You can help in one of two ways: (1) share the blog with your friends, on de.licio.us, digg, facebook, or link to it from your personal blog, (2) read the talk by Elder Oaks, start a gospel sharing blog, link to Mormon-Blogger with long links using our keywords, and start teaching and sharing the gospel on your blog, or (3) you can post your testimony, teach a principle, or share an experience on mormon-blogger.

If you want to post your content directly to mormon-blogger, (a) I have to know you directly, or (b) you have to be recommended by someone I know and trust, or (c) you can send your article to me and I will post it. Sorry about the strict policy, but we need to keep the username and password safe.

If you are still interested in posting on mormon-blogger, then read these next couple of things and then do something good.

Send me an email at smartmillion@gmail.com and I will get you the username and password.
Please read thoroughly Elder Ballard’s talk because in there he instructs as to exactly how we should be using the internet and what we should be posting
We need to post unique material, once again that means be aware of other writers titles and general content. It is okay for multiple writers to talk about The Book of Mormon, we just can’t have 50 different postings each with the title of “The Book of Mormon”. Doing this will hurt us on the search engines in the long run.
The more writers we have the better and so I would like you to tell all the people you trust and that you know have testimonies of the church. But be aware that we need good writers who will follow Elder Ballard’s counsel and not be argumentative or give bogus doctrine. We need to be short and concise if we talk about doctrine and always 100% accurate. Also remember that there is no reason to feed someone meat before they can handle milk so keep it simple.
If you share a story or experience you had make sure you keep sacred that which is meant to be sacred, i.e. temple covenants, priesthood ordinances, and particularly personal spiritual experiences. Remember that our purpose is to share the gospel with those who know nothing, or very little about us. We must always keep that in mind.

2008-08-08T17:28:00.004-05:00

I saw the coolest video and I thought I would post it on our blog. This stuff is like a ferromagnetic liquid that allows it to form interesting shapes with magnets. It is like a modern day lava lamp :)

2008-08-03T15:39:00.006-05:00

Yes, we have started to update our blog more often. We had some time to be lazy last week. That was nice, and it probably wont happen again any time soon. There are only 5 weeks left till the baby comes.

Just hanging out

This is Brooke hiding her face

Buie family news:

Ben is starting work as a research assistant on a solar industry project.
We has started selling more and more ties each week on MyNiceTie
Brooke's brother Clint got married to Katie.
We still don't have a name for our little tyke, so if you have any suggestion...

Here are some pictures from the wedding:

Here we are at the wedding lunch

The Bride and the Groom

The happy parents

2008-07-31T22:57:00.003-05:00

Sorry we have not updated our blog in the past little while. We have Google analytics hooked up to it, and I have seen many of you visiting lately. We assume you have been wanting new info on the Buie family. We want to say hello again (the baby kicks hi)

So here is a little update with some pictures. Brooke is about to pop. Ben is about to drop (from exhaustion), and the baby is just in his own happy world (wouldn't that be nice).

Just 5 weeks to go and the newest member of our family will be introduced into the world. Brooke is very happy and says that she and the baby have been talking and agree that he can come early if he is healthy. Ben is getting more and more excited. The other day he was talking to the baby and it started kicking as if to talk back. It was cute. We have not gotten everything for the baby, but we are starting to stock up on clothes. Brooke is pretty excited about finding a stroller. Actually, she found the stroller that she wants but now we have to find it on eBay for a price we can afford. It is over $600 retail, but it is cool. How can they charge that much?! No luck on the bidding war yet, be we will let you know

Ben is about to drop because he is doing more than he ever thought possible. He just launched his latest website called Small Biz, Big Profits (www.small-biz-big-profit.com). It is still under construction, but it will eventually be to form a community of entrepreneurs that will share their knowledge with each other and help each other succeed. In addition to the website, he is studying full time, in charge of part of the sponsorship program for the CEO club at BYU, serving as Ward Clerk in his ward, working as a web developer for the Womens Research Institute, running MyNiceTie--home of the free tie!, and just accepted a position as a research assistant on a solar panel project. Wow!

2008-06-10T08:32:00.002-05:00

Hey Everyone,

My idea is doing really well. I am featured on the home page. Help me win by voting for me. I think I may get it this month!

2008-06-06T17:48:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone. Finally we are updating our blog. Unfortunately, we need your help. We have a great idea for another online business, but we need you to vote for us. See the picture below? That is where you vote. If we get the most votes, we will will $10,000 dollars to make our idea a reality!

Other than this news, Ben is still studying at BYU and is going to graduate in December. He has a really busy summer semester with 9 credits (the equivalent of 18 during the regular year) and Brooke is getting more and more excited for the baby. The baby, Brayden (maybe his name), learned how to kick really HARD, and he can now reach Brooke's ribs. Ouch! But he will be a strong little tiger :) Hope to talk to you all soon.

2008-04-26T15:57:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys and Gals

2008-03-30T21:53:00.005-05:00

The Buies really need to keep up on this Blog thing better. Where does all the time go? They wake up morning after morning and time just flies away. Pretty soon their son will be here (thats what Ben says the baby is going to be, Brooke has not yet started guessing the gender) They will find out if it is a Boy or a Girl in 2-3 weeks.

Brooke is just about done being morning sick, although she does not understand why they call it morning sickness when it should be called "all day sickness." She looks like she has had enough.

At least she has someone that can help her through the hard times. Isn't it great that women are willing to sacrifice their own comfort for the joy and pain of bearing children. Mother Eve was a hero when she chose pain over paradise, and every woman after her does that same.

According to their estimates, the baby is about a half a foot long. Surprisingly, Brooke cannot feel it move or kick yet. Brooke is still working and will be until the baby comes. She enjoys her job less and less as the days go by and it will be a nice change when she can stay home with the baby.

Wasn't Easter Fun?

Ben is on his way to graduation, just two more semesters and he will be out. He is enjoying his study of business. His classes this semester are extremely intriguing. His favorite by far is The Economics of Strategy taught by Professor Hatch. His professor promised him to never teach anything that could not be immediately used at work. This has proved to be true, and Ben is planing on implementing many of the strategies in his necktie business.

Ben is also working in the leadership of the C.E.O. club(collegiate entrepreneurs organization)at BYU. He is setting up sponsorships with local businesses in Utah county. He is also setting up a Blog-like website with tips for small businesses. It's called Small Business Info (ya, creative name huh?). The idea is to create a site for small business tools, ideas, etc. It is in a preliminary stage so far, but soon will have a wide variety of content.

In conclusion the Buies want to leave you with some random pictures of the last few weeks:

Happy Birthday Brooke
it was her birthday on the 25th of march

Why is there a parrot on our porch?

That is the latest update on the Buie family. You can sign up for the RSS feed and it will notify you whenever we update the blog (Just incase you come often and are dissapointed if the Buie's have not posted anything).

The Buies wish you the best in life!

2008-03-06T18:40:00.001-06:00

Do you like soccer? This is the coolest video!

We are "expecting"

2008-02-14T23:44:00.002-06:00

My wife and I have started to think about names for the little one. Yes, my wife is expecting. We found out about a month ago and if we haven’t told you in person yet, I’m sorry about that. Give me a call and I will.

Brooke came home with this book that is supposed to help you find a name for our child. I think it was called the “50,000 best baby names.” I was excited to check it out, who knew there were that many names! It has names from Russia, Africa, and even India. Dang, all this time I thought we had about 50 names to choose from. You know, most boys are named John, or Jake, or Joe (Hebrew meaning asset); and girls are Betty, Britney and Bertha (German name meaning bright). With 50,000 baby names, you’d think there’d be more variety in society. Just think about it, how many Bens do you know?

So, we opened the book and started searcing. You would not believe the terrible names they suggest. I just hope no one really uses this book as justification. I can just imagine some guy saying “Honey, I know Flip (English name meaning wild movements) isn’t the most beautiful name, but it has a ring to it—and it’s in the book.” What kind of a message does that send to your child?

I’m not kidding you, one of the names proposed in this book is “Boy.” Yes, BOY, you know like a little kid. You want to know the meaning? The book said it is an American name meaning “boy child of the family.” Ha ha, you don’t say? Can you imagine, “Did you do your chores boy?” or “get over here Boy.” Boy Buie—it’s not the most beautiful name, but it does have a ring to it 

Cinco, a Spanish name, was another one I thought was pretty funny. Who would really name their son that? What, did they name their first child Uno and liked it so much they kept counting. Although…a name like that does make it easier for mom and dad to keep track of them… “Uno, Dos, Tres, Quatro…Quatro, where’s Quatro? Cinco, go find Quatro and tell him dinners’ ready.” After seeing Cinco, I thought I would look for other numbers and sure enough they were there. At this point, this book was losing credibility fast.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was the funniest name I saw—“Chito.” If you have trouble pronouncing the name, just think of the cheese covered corn puffs commonly promoted by our friend Chester the Cheetah. Not surprisingly, Chito has a meaning too, it’s an American name that means “fast-food eater” or “hungry.” Why don’t they just call their kid fatso, or junk food, that’s what the kids at school will call them.

Now we are left to search for names in other places. I think a good place to look is the bible, but if you have any ideas, please let me know. Don’t worry, we will not name our child Chito. The childs only friends would be Cinco and Boy.

2008-02-05T10:56:00.000-06:00

2008-02-04T14:44:00.000-06:00

2008-01-31T01:57:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone, we have done a lot of revisions to the My Nice Tie website. Will you check it out and email me some feedback at mynicetie@gmail.com ? Thanks! Brooke and I have been doing great lately, I am not so busy with school and so I've put a lot of time into the website. Brooke has been trying to get me to work less so that I can spend time with her. Hope you all are doing well.

I loved this video

2008-01-13T18:50:00.001-06:00

This little boy called into a religious radio show and this is what he said

2008-01-12T03:24:00.001-06:00

We just got our website up and running; www.mynicetie.com. Its been a long time in the making. Now all I have to learn how to do is drive traffic there. I will also be working on getting it running better as well

Christmas Break

2008-01-06T17:52:00.000-06:00

Christmas break was great! After a challenging semester, we were in need of some relaxation. So, Brooke and I spent the first week visiting family. We probably saw you if it was possible because we were driving all over the northern half of Utah

The day after Christmas, we went up to Park City to play some winter sports; Brooke was on skis and I was on a snowboard. We were up there with Kim (my brother) and Landon (my nephew). After our warm up, Landon and I decided to hit some double black diamonds. The powder was great and I had to try my luck at some jumps. I got some good air, but wrecked every time; however, it didn’t hurt, it was like landing in a white pillow.

After about 5 days of relaxation it was time to get to work. We started our next business project by filming for two days. Have you ever wanted to make gourmet chocolates? Brooke’s mom has been making some of the best chocolate candies for about 25 years. We talked her into making a “how to video” which I am going to market on the internet. Brooke’s mom did it mostly to have something to pass on to her children and grand children, and I hope to be able to pay for school.

We spent the rest of the break editing the movie. Do you have any idea how long that takes?! I worked on it for 3 days strait, from when I woke up to when Brooke came home from work. After about 30 hours of work, I have 19 minutes of film. I wish there was some more efficient way to edit.

Today is Sunday and tomorrow school starts again. I am excited to get back to studying. I miss the feeling of having my brain feel like an exhausted muscle after lifting a car. Hopefully, this semester will not be as time consuming as the last; I need to finish the movie and get a gourmet chocolate making website running. I should have a link to that website on this blog if you want to check it out.

Thanks for coming to the Buie Family Blog. This is how we are going to keep you updated on our lives in the future. I am going to try to post something here once a week. You can come to see what we have been doing, see photo’s, and leave us comments. We hope to see you back here soon!

This is our first post

2008-01-03T21:15:00.000-06:00

We don't have much to say right now. I just want to see what will happen